Electrically-actuated camera shutter



Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,365

E. BowE$ ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED CAMERA SHUTTER FILED Aus. 18. 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET l Feb. 6, 1923.

E. L. Bowras ELECTRICALLY ACTUTED CAMERA SHUTTER 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fl LED Aus. 18, 191 9 Feb. 6, 1923.

1,444,365 E. L. Bowes ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED CAMERA SHUTTER F|LED AUG. 18, 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 aziz@ Patented F eb. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. BOWES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICALLY-VACTUATED CAMERA SHUTTR.

Application filed August 18, 1919. Serial No. 318,151.

'10 for photographic cameras, and has for its object to provide a means whereby the shutter may be operated through a motive power |such, for instance, as electro-motive force, that can be delivered to a shutter actuator, for instance, an electric motor from a plurality of different points remote from the shutter with the advantage ot' convenient control that said form ot motive power affords. as well as other advantages growing out of lthe application of this particular form ot' power which will become apparent from the following description. A further object is to combine with an electric motor a form ot' shutter that will remain either in open or closed position without any force being required to hold it therein; to provide such a. shutter with motive power that will be continuous throughout the movement ot' the shutter to either limit of its movement, but'which will be inert so longas its application is interrupted; and also to develop a combination of such elements that will be silent, in its action and free-from vibration or jolting in starting or stopping. A further Object is to provide controlling circuits for the motor in such an organization through which the opposite movements may be in- `duced in the motor,. and a plurality of switches (preferably two), which are individually controlled as to both circuits, and

which are reciprocally acting in their relation `thereto in the sense that while either switch may -be used for both opening and closing either circuit, either switch may be used for inducing opening movement in the motor in either direction, and the other lswitch thereafter used for inducing motion in the opposite direction. l.

The principle of operation of the invern-p tion, as well as the general organization of its elements and the details of construction of the parts which enter into the same, will he fully understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a standard type ot studio camerato which the several features of the present invention are applied by 'way of illustration.

Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating a modified' principle of application of electromotive torce in developing the opposite movements of the shutter.

Figure 3 is' anelevation on an enlarged scale ot' thefront of t'he camera, seen from the inside.A

Figure 4- is a section on the line 1X-4x of Figure Figure 5 is a. section on the line 5X. X of Figure 4. y

Figures 6 and 7 are detail views of two identically constructed but alternately acting circuit changers controlled by the movements of the. door.

r Figure 8 is a schematic View ot' the operating circuits.

Figure 9 is a. vertical longitudinal section ot' a portable switch through which to control the circuit-s from any position which the operator may be required to assume in the use of the camera. A

Figures 1() and 11 are inner face views of the respective members oi the switch shown in Figure 9.

Figures 12 and 13 are, respectively, a pla-n View with the casing in horizontal section. and a side elevation with the casing in verticalsection, of the stationary switch through which the circuits are controlled from apstation near the camera.; and

Figures 14 and 15 are detail views ot' the operating lever employed in the switch shown in Figures 12 and 13.

Referring to Figure 1, A represents a. camera of any approved tvpe, and/B represents a stand therefor. he primary purpose ot' Ithe present invention is to operate the shutter of the camera A, for instance the swinging doors 1 mounted in its front i tion a through the medium of electro-motive force or equivalent motive power medium of la character `that is adapted to be controlled from any of several points remote from the shutter, and adapted to be developed, for instance, in aV motor 2 having its current supplied from any suitable source,'for instance, a storage battery 3 connected therewith through the circuit 3a. In order to bring this motor -under convenient control of the operator, its circuit is under the joint and several control of two switches, namely a switch 5 connected With!the motor through circuit 5a and located upon the rear portion of the camera or its stand, Where it is` accessible for opening and .E closing the shutter in the focusing operation, and a switch' 6 connected With the motor through circuit 6a, which is portable and adapted to be carried by the operator while in attendance upon the subject to be photographed.

Referring to Figures 3 to 7, inclusive, the shutter 1 is preferably in the form of a pair of doors swlnging upon vertical pintles la,

each carrying at one end a pinion 1b so that opposite swinging movements can be imparted to the doors; and the motor is preferably ofthe rotary type with a shaft pinion 2a meshing with the vertically presented rack- 7a of a. reciprocating bar 7 that has horizontally but oppositely presented racks 7b that mesh with the respective door pinions l", so that driving the motor 2 in one v direction will impart Vopposite rotation to the pintles la' in the direction to open the doors, while driving the motor in the opposite direction imparts oppositev rotation to the pintles la inA thev direction to close the doors. In order to automatically arrest the drive of the motor at the limit of the movement of the doors and thereby avoid jars or shocks in the camera, a circuit interruptor 8 is employed (preferably one for each direction of movement) and theseinterrupters are preferably mounted upon the pintles 1*. The construction of these interrupters will be undersood on reference to Figures 6 and 7 which show two identical interrupters, .and according to whichv a conducting body 8, mounted upon the pintle l, through the medium of an insulating sleeve 8b but eX- tendin less than the circumference of the sleeve, 1s adapted to receive the contact arms 8, having a spring 8d attached to insulating blocks 8e upon the endsv of the arms, which swings` the arms upon their pivots 8t and presses them against the conductorSa. Rotation of the pintles l? approximately 90 is suiiicient to bring the conductor 8 to ne or the other of its limits, in which it either makes the circuit between the arms 8e or interrupts it by receiving one of the arms upon the insulating se ent 8b.' These iliterrupters are connecte so that one controls the openin circuit andthe other the closing circult of t e motor, and are positioned, as suggested by the comparison of Figures 6 and 7, so that they operate reciprocally'in openingl and closing the'circuits which they control. With this arrangement, throwing a switch in the direction to open the shutter, for instance, drives the motor until at the limit of the opening movement one circuit interrupter interrupts the shutter-opening circuit and the doors rest in open position. By such movement the other interrupter has shifted to the position in which it establishes closed circuit through its contacts, and as soon as the switch is thrown in the opposite direction, or in the direction to close the doors, it completes the closing circuit and the closing movement continues until the shutter attains closed position, when the closing circuit will have been interrupted by the closing'interrupter and the opening circuit re-established -by the opening interrupter and ready for the next opening movement of the switch. v

As suggested in Figure 2, the invention is not limited to the use of a rotary motor for imparting opposite rotary movements to the pintles la. These movements maybe developed through the medium of a belt lru reversed around the pulleys ln and having one of its strands connected by a yoke 1p to the lever l, which is pivoted at lr and carries at its free end the core 1B of the solenoids 1t.

The 'circuit arrangement employed for supplying the motor from battery 3 and controlling the supply of current through either of the switches 5 and, 6 at will, is shown in Figure 8.1 BatteryB has its positive Wire 3d and branch 3 presented, respectively, to the terminals 5t1 and 5t2 of the switch 5, and its branches 312 and 3d3 presented to the respective terminals t1 and 692 of the switch 6; while the negative wire 3 leads to the field 2f of the motor;` also through branch 3 beyond the field and through one of the interrupters 8 to the terminal 53; also through branch 32 to the lterminal 5t4 of the switch 5, and through branches 3T3 and 3" to the terminals ,63 and 6t4 of the switch 6. .Switch 5 has its respective contacts 5" and 5 connected through termlnals 5, 5?.I and wires 5d and 51" to the respective poles vof the armature 2g.

Switch 6 has its respective contact 6b and;y 6 connected through Wires 6d and 6" with v the respective poles of the armature 2", such Wires .6d \and 6 being, for convenience, tapped into the wires 5d and 5f'. Thus the arrangement is such that by throwing either end of either switch the armature is connected in series with the field and with the source of current, but the current flows in.

described circuitarrangemcnt constitutes a` simple and convenient means of establishing these conditions, but any other suitable circuit arrangement may be employed.

By referring to Figures 12 to 15. it will be seen that the switch 5 comprises a pivoted lever 5t having contact segments 5b, 5C oi" metal. that are adapted to constantly contact with the respective terminals 5, 5H, and which are normally out of contact with, but may be thrown into contact with, either of the terminals 5u, 5, 5", 5t?. Since the terminals 5m, 5r1 are connected, respectively, to the wires 5d, 5" in the diagram of Figure 8, while the terminals 5u, 5Ul are connected to the wires 3d and ST2 of said diagram, and the terminals 562, 5t3 are connected, respectively, to the wires 5, 5, the throwing ot' the switch lever 5k in opposite directions will cii'ect the circuit phases disclosed schematically by the arrangement of the switch 5 and its terminals in Figure 8.

By referring to Figures 9, 10, and l1, it will be seen that the switch 6 comprises a pair ot buttons 6m, 6, adapted to rock a pivoted carriage 6e in opposite directions. and, through it, depress contacts 6b, 6, (Figure lll) either upon the terminals 6` 6 (Figure 10) or upon,the pair of terminals 62, 6m; and since the contact arms 6b, 6@ are connected, respectively, through terminals 6, 611 (springs 6, 6g) with the wires 6d and 6r. it follows that by select-ing the push button 6m or 6, switch 6, as constructed in Figures 9 to l1, may be employed for establishing the circuit phases disclosed in Figure 8.

- I claim:

'1. In combination. with a photographic shutter, an actuator positivelycontro-lling saidshutter both in the direction of opening and `in the direction of closing, means supplying a motive power medium in opposite directions to said actuator, and two independent controllers for said actuator each adapted to deliver motive power medium to said actuator in either direction.`

2. In combination with a photographic shutter, an actuator having opposite move.- ments for opening `and closing` the same. means for supplying a motive power medium to said actuator in the respective directions to develop said movements, and two independent controllers each having a `connection with said actuator through which it deli vers motive power medium in the direction to open the shutter. and a connection therewith through which it supplies said medium in the. direction to close the shutter.

3. In combination with a photographic shutter. an actuator positively' controlling said shutterboth in the direction ot' opening and in the direction of closing. means supplying a motive power medium 1n opposite directions to said actuator, and two m- -controlled by the shutter and adapted to contor, and interrupters included in the respecdependent controllers for said actuatqr each adapted to deliver motive power medium to said actuator in either direction; one of said controllers heilig located upon the camera within convenient reach of the operator while manipulating the camera, and the maniliulated by the artist while in attend-v ance upon the subject.

4. In combination with a photographic shutter. an elect-ric motor having a driving connection with said shutter through which it positively imparts movement thereto, and an interrupterl which terminates the driv ing action of the motor as the shutter reaches the limit of its movement.

5. In combination with aY photographic shutter, an electric motor having a driving connection with said shutter through whic it positively imparts movement thereto, and an interrupter which terminates the driving action ot' the motor as the shutter reachesthe limit of its movement; said interrupter con trolling the circuit through which current is supplied to the motor,

6. In combination with a photographic shutter, an electric motor having a driving connection with said shutter through which it positively imparts movement thereto,and an interrupter which terminates the driving action ot' the motor as. the shutter reaches the limit ot' its movement; said interrupter being controlled by the shutter.

7. In combination with a photographic shutter, an electric motor having a driving connection with said shutter through which it positively imparts movement thereto, and an interrupter which terminates the driving action of the motor as the shutter reaches the limit of its movement; said interrupter being trol the circuit through which current is supplied to the motor.

8. In combination with a photographic shutter, an electric motor having connections through which it imparts both opening and closing movements to said shutter, an opening circuit and a closing circuit for said Inotive circuits, each of which terminates the driving action ot the motor as the shutter attains the limit otmovement induced by the circuit which includes the interrupter.

9. In combination with a photographic shutter, an electric inotor'having connections through which itimparts both opening and closing movements to said shutter, an opening circuit and a closing circuit for said motor, and interru'ptersl included in the respective circuits. each of which terminates the driving action of the motor as the shutter attains the limit of movement induced by the circuit which includes the interrupter; said interrupters acting reciprocally in that each closes as the other opens.

other being portable and adapted 'to be 1.0. In combination with a. photographic shutter, an electric motor having connections through which it imparts both opening and closing movements to said shutter, an openf ing circuit and a closing circuit for said motor, and interrupters included in the respective circuits, each of which terminates the driving action of the motor as the shutter attains the limit of movement induced by thecircuit which includes the interrupter; said shutter comprising a lpair of members having pivots upon which they swing; and each interrupter comprising a circuit terminal and a, segment carried by the shutter pivo!L and cooperating with said terminal.

1v1. In combination with4 a photographic shutter, an electric motor- 'having connections through which it imparts both opening and closing movements to said shutter, -an opening circuit and a closing circuit for said motor, a rotary interrupter in each circuit,

said interrupters being both moved by the opening and closing of the shutter, and each openingits circuit at the end of the shutter' movement which the circuit induces, but closing its circuit when the shutter is moved `by the other circuit, and a switch having selective circuit closers controlling the respective circuits.

12; In combination With a photographic shutter, comprising a pair of members, turning posts upon which said members swing, pinions through which said posts are controlled, a reciprocating bar having oppositely presented racks engaging the respective pinions and inducing opposite arcuate movementsA` in the shutter members by each direction ofl movement of the bar, and an electric motor adapted to impart opposite movements to said bar. y

13. In combination with a photographic shutter, comprising apair of doors having vertical pivot posts upon which they swing and pinions on the ends of-said pivot posts through which swinging movement is imparted to the doors, Va rack bar having at its respective ends racks presented horizontally in opposite directions an'd cooperating respectively with the' pinions on `the pivot posts, said rack bar also having a vertically presented rack, and an electric motor having a pinion meshing with the vertically pre! sented rack and having circuits through which opposite rotary movements are developed therein.

Signed at Waupaca, Wis., this 14th day of August, 1919.

EDWARD4 L. BOWES. 

